Man arrested for extorting money by posing as Maoist

Malkangiri: A man was arrested for allegedly extorting money from people by posing as a Maoist in Odisha's Malkangiri district, police said on Wednesday.

Angry villagers caught the fake ultra, identified as Mohan Hantal (25) of Chitrakonda area in the naxal-hit district, and handed him over to police yesterday, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Singh said.

Hantal had been indulging in extortion in the area for last couple of months besides threatening people by identifying himself as a Maoist cadre, police said.

He was caught and handed over to the police when he demanded money from the sarpanch of Gunthagada grampanchayat, they said.

Thorough examination of Hantal's antecedents show he was neither a Maoist nor had any link with the red rebels, police said he tried to earn easy money by posing as a naxal.

Extortion by miscreants posing as Maoists has been on the rise in districts like Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada in southern Odisha, they said.